The end game of the Civil War was a chess game of trench warfare played out by Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant in a futile effort by the Army of Northern Virginia to keep the Confederate capitol of Richmond from falling to the assembled Union armies. In the spring of 1865 the Confederate trenches were finally stretched to their breaking point and it was 188 years ago today that Lee surrendered his army to Grant in the front parlor of the house of Wilmer McLean. "Pursuit to Appomattox: The Last Battles" focuses primarily on the armies of Lee and Grant, but goes Lee's surrender to those of other rebel armies, the capture of Jefferson Davis, and ends with retired Brigadier General Robert Anderson raising the same flag over Fort Sumter on April 14, 1865 that he had pulled won in surrender four years earlier.

Jerry Korn draws the duty of relating the last days of the war for this volume in the Time-Life series on The Civil War in five richly illustrated chapters. A Season of Forlorn Hope covers the final winter of the war, drawing a stark contrast between the Federal winter quarters at Poplar Grove with the bleak Confederate lines; the only significant military action is General Gordon's failed attack on Fort Stedman. Vengeance in the Carolinas continues the next chapter in William Tecumseh Sherman's army marching up from Georgia, as they visited destruction on the cradle of the Confederacy. Waterloo of the Confederacy relates the Battle of Five Forks, the flanking effort by Warren's V Corps and Sheridan's Federal cavalry that destroyed Pickett's troops and forced Lee to abandon Richmond in a last ditch effort to save the army. A Race for Survival contrasts the Union army entering Richmond, which was nothing like what we watched today on television with U.S. Marines entering Baghdad, with Grant pursuing Lee's army as it tried to join up with Johnston in North Carolina. With the Army of Northern Virginia effectively surrounded, Grant sent Lee a letter asking for him to surrender to avoid "any further effusion of blood."

The final chapter, Surrender with Honor, details not only Lee's desperate final attempts to avoid surrendering, but also the supreme arrogance of the flamboyant Custer during the final hours of the war. Even without his brutality against the Plains Indians his actions at this point speak to his ultimate lack of character. In contrast, the example of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in accepting the surrender of the Confederate troops speaks to the fact that wars do create heroes out of ordinary men. Like all volumes in The Civil War series "Pursuit to Appomattox" is illustrated with historic photographs, drawings, etchings, and paintings; a two-page spread offers three different paintings as Varied Views of the Surrender. The final photo section of the book shows the ruins of Richmond as this superb series draws to a close.

Quest For A Star is a collection of the Civil War letters and diary entries of Colonel Francis T. Sherman of the 88th Illinois, ably edited and with commentary by Knight Aldrich, Sherman's great-grandson. Thanks to his father's political influence, Sherman won an officers commission and commanded a brigade for much of his early service. He saw action at Perryville, Stones River, Missionary Ridge, and other battlefields. He was captured near Atlanta and endured three months in a Confederate prison before being released in a prisoner exchange. During the last months of the war, he served with General Philip Sheridan in the Appomattox campaign. His letters to his father and his diary entries reveal vivid descriptions of wartime experiences, insights into the volatile politics of the times, criticism of the incompetence of superior officers (especially General Don Carlos Buell), and more. Aldrich's commentaries give Sherman's observations an historical perspective, and draws upon his years as a professor of psychiatry and family medicine to offer fascinating speculation about inner conflicts that may have served to fuel Sherman's ambitions and political beliefs. Quest For A Star is an invaluable and much appreciated contribution to the growing body of Civil War era biographical literature.

Rachel The Clever And Other Jewish Folktales is a wonderful collection of forty-six outstanding, multicultural tales drawn from the Jewish communities of Poland, Spain, Morocco, Yemen, and Central Asia. Entertaining, illuminating, showcasing Jewish wit, wisdom and humor, Rachel The Clever And Other Jewish Folktales and the other memorable stories are enhanced for the modern reader with notes providing additional information on the origins and different versions of the stories, as well as the characters and creatures that populate them. Rachel The Clever And Other Jewish Folktales is enthusiastically recommended reading for ages 9 to 90!

The title says it all as this cogent work opens with a declaration of independence from sociobiology, and proceeds to a reexamination of social evolutionary thinking, the idea of 'evolution' in free fall. Ay there's the rub, what does the free floating concept of (social) evolution really mean, and what is its true relation with organismic evolution? This question has never found an answer, because even the theory of organismic evolution is incomplete. To escape the clutches of E.O. Wilson is not to escape those of S. J. Gould, and the assumptions of basic Darwinism still bedevil analysis even as the banishment of all ideas of progress simply compounds the confusion. For the idea of progress in the docket of ideology, in addition to its excision from all discussion of random evolution, leaves all in confusion. We should a more complex theory to explain progression in one form, as macroevolution, and the individual's actions, as freedom,in another, as a sort of microevolution. In any case, we are still 'looking for the answer',without the gimmicks of sociobiological reductionism and this book explores a host of interesting avenues in a liberating, though eclectic mix of themes from Veblen to Marx. Very stimulating work, and some real nose-thumbing at the Social Darwinist plot thickener from the right wing Darwin gang. Still, one is left with the question, where is the theory? A more universal history might give us the clue to an answer.

Dean has tackled one of the most difficult, and often times most misunderstood, areas Christians face- How to handle relationships and sex as a Christian. His biblical insight and application on this subject helps shed much needed light on these topics. The book is for every Christian, and for many non-Christians as well. It is very down to Earth in its approach, and very solid in its message. It isn't the "typical" message your parents or pastors may have taught you. A MUST READ for any single- young or old- considering dating and relationships.

What a wonderful book for children and,yes, for the parents who read it to them. The illustrations are bright, charming and imaginative and makes the book a primer for creative children.

This is an execellent book filled with wonderful photos of Santa Fe's history. I especially enjoyed looking at it with my 86 year old father, who lived much of the 20th century history.

This is an excellent text -- my favorite. I have used it with my graduate class in educational sociology a number of times. However, I refuse to use a text that costs $106 and hope that MacMillian will consider a soft side edition.

Professor Lucas has written a well researched analysis of the burning of Columbia, South
Carolina by the Federal army. There were strategic military reasons for Sherman's march
through central South Carolina. Columbia "was an important war manufacturing
center--one of the few still in Confederate hands--providing munitions, equipment, and
uniforms....central South Carolina contained the last Confederate sources of food
untouched by war." Governor Magrath pointed out to Jefferson Davis that the borders of
South Carolina were Richmond's second line of defense which was confirmed when
Richmond fell less than two months after Columbia surrendered.

The author outlines the wartime conditions in Columbia noting that both the civilian and
military authorities were tardy in realizing the obvious danger to the city and even slower
to act. Finally the author writes "The missing ingredient with the Confederate camp....was
a belief in the possibility of success. The defeatism of Beauregard's leadership was
abundantly clear...."

Chapter 2 gives a succinct account of the evacuation of Columbia noting that inspite of
the desperate condition of the Confederate armies, the large arsenals and war supplies in
Columbia were not evacuated. The cotton in storage was moved into the streets with
orders for it to be burned which contributed to the later fires. Columbia Mayor Goodwyn
surrendered the city while scores of bewildered Columbians, in an ill-conceived attempt to
placate a dreaded conqueror, began distributing alcoholic beverages to the soldiers. This
precipitated an insurmountable problem.

A balanced account of the burning of Columbia is given. The most damaging fire began
about eight p.m.on February 17th, was of inexplicable origin and was not extinguished for
six or seven hours when the wind abated. With drunken men roaming the streets, rioting
and acts of personal violence were bound to occur. Confusion reigned and most control
over the city was lost . The extent of the damage following the fire is reviewed. About
one-third of Columbia was destroyed with the business community virtually wiped out and
265 residences burned.

Regarding who burned Columbia, the conclusions were (and still are) along partisan lines.
South Carolinians charged Sherman as "morally responsible for the burning of Columbia".
Union officers and troops felt that while the events in Columbia were regrettable they
were the results of acts of war. Sherman entered South Carolina to disrupt the state's
transportation system and bring an end to the war by destroying Southern morale.
However, Professor Lucas notes "The failure of Sherman's psychological warfare, a new
kind of war which Southern civilians did not understand, was that the hatred generated
during the invasion did not terminate with the war's end."

The post war criticisms of and charges against Sherman and the Union army are reviewed.
The author notes that the Confederates as they evacuated the city began the looting and
plundering then the entering Federal troops seized what was left. The unanswered
question of incendiarism, the most disputed issue, is complicated by a lack of reliable
eyewitness accounts.
In summary, Sherman failed to take timely and sufficient action to control both the fires
and the riots. However, the author notes that the failure of Confederate leadership in the
defense of South Carolina and the evacuation of the city played a major role in creating a
situation which resulted in the destruction of the city. In addition no preparations were
made by Beauregard, Hampton or the city fathers for the official surrender of the city
when a formal declaration of Columbia as an open city may have produced positive
results.

In conclusion, Professor Lucas writes that the burning of Columbia was a great tragedy
for South Carolina and the Union stating "....when the Union Army left Columbia on
February 20, 1865, it left behind bitter hatred. Many citizens had lost everything they
possessed, while others had gone through the catastrophe relatively unscathed. All,
however, suffered psychologically. They had promised to give their "all" in defense of
South Carolina and the Confederacy; it was painfully apparent that few had done so. Long
before Columbia was captured, Columbians had given up."

This is a magnificent song book for anyone who loves Disney or Sherman Brothers music. They wrote the songs for MARY POPPINS, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANK, JUNGLE BOOK, THE ARISTOCATS, CHARLOTTE'S WEB and THE SLIPPER AND THE ROSE. Nine of their songs were nominated for Oscars. Twice they won an Oscar. They're just the greatest. I love this song book and play the music in it all the time with my kids. Some of their other great songs which are included here are "It's A Small World", "Feed The Birds", Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", Winnie The Pooh", "You're Sixteen" and "Tall Paul". These brother songwriters are the greatest. I loved "Walt's Time" too!